Why this matters
A tank that never quite stops filling quietly pours money away, and Markham bills by the cubic metre for both water and wastewater. A silent leak from tank to bowl may only show on your bill.
Find the cause
| What you notice | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Water spilling into the overflow tube | Fill valve set too high or failing |
| Refills briefly every so often | Flapper leaking |
| Handle must be jiggled | Chain too long or tangled |
| Weak flush | Chain too slack, or low tank level |
A running toilet can pour a surprising amount of metered water down the drain before anyone notices.
Step by step
- Take the porcelain cover off and lay it on a towel, since it chips at a touch.
- Tint the tank water with a little food dye and avoid flushing for fifteen minutes.
- Tinted water reaching the bowl proves the seal is seeping; buy a flapper sized to your flush valve.
- Where water trickles down the overflow, drop the float until the level settles a couple of finger-widths under the tube rim.
- Leave a link or two of looseness in the chain at rest.
- Swap out any fill valve that hisses nonstop.
Toilets from Markham subdivisions of the nineties and two-thousands mostly take standard parts sold in hardware stores. Older or unusual models may need specific components from the maker, which is where a call saves wasted trips.
Handing it over to us
Ring us when fresh parts fail to quiet it, if drips gather beneath the tank-to-bowl bolts, or if the toilet rocks. See toilet repair and toilet installation. Our water meter guide helps confirm a silent leak.
Markham note: village-core houses tend to hide cast iron and galvanized behind plaster, while Cornell and Box Grove builds run PEX to a manifold. We ask the year your house was built so the right fittings ride along on the truck.
Straight from the phone log
How long does a flapper last?
Several years, but chlorinated water and cleaning tablets shorten its life.
Are in-tank cleaning tablets safe?
They can degrade flappers and seals. Many makers advise against them.
Ready to get it fixed?
One call, a clear explanation, and work finished tidily before we leave.